The present invention relates protocol analysis, and more particularly to the configuration of a measurement task on a protocol tester.
The configuration of measurement tasks in the environment of telecommunication technology requires a multitude of information which is complex and often difficult to summarize or adjust. This proves particularly disadvantageous when a user is not very familiar with the details and the dependencies of the configuration parameters within a multi-layered measurement system. Under prior art, the information required for the configuration of a measurement task is queried in a sequence that is often not understood by the user. If the details provided about this are contradictory, if they contain errors or if they are incomplete, then error messages are displayed. An example of a measurement task is the monitoring of an interface of a GPRS network where the user has to appropriately configure the physical interface available in the protocol tester. This requires entries to be made about the data transfer rate, the terminating resistor, the clock rate, the framing and the type of coding of the bits, etc. The protocol stack used on an interface, such as a Gr interface, has to be configured by the user right to the level on which the monitoring is desired. To this end a suitable protocol stack must be selected from an unsorted quantity of some 200 to 400 protocol stacks. This requires a detailed knowledge of the environment of the measurement task. The likelihood of incorrect entries and incorrect configurations is relatively high.
Under the prior art, configuration is therefore “bottom up” by way of the entry of details on the bottom-most, or physical layer, level. As a consequence of the specification of the physical properties the network topology elements or interfaces on the upper-most, or application layer, level then result. For the specification of an RNC (radio network controller) in a UMTS network, for example, approximately 10 parameters have to be entered. From the 10 parameters entered, it is then clear in the upper-most level that an RNC is to be defined. This is laborious, time-consuming and error-prone.
What is desired is to have a protocol tester support a user in the configuration of measurement tasks in the environment of telecommunication technology in order to minimize the number of incorrect entries.